St. Thomas's Parish

This handsome brick building was constructed in 1847 on the site of a log house Catholic chapel which preceded it in 1836, built under the direction of Father Samuel Mazzuchelli, resident priest of Galena, missionary, educator, architect, and builder of 27 churches. Religious ceremonies were conducted occasionally by Rev. Mattias Loras, Bishop of Dubuque. A log house dwelling for the priest on the opposite side of the road stood until the 1890s. Also located across from the church was the boys school.

St. Mathias Female Seminary, the first girls' school in Wisconsin Territory, was located to the right of the church from 1845 to 1875. The seminary (a federal styled two-story brick building) and the church (35' by 56') with a lofty spire, cost a total of $11,000. About 56 girls attended the school for general, musical, and cultural training by the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin from Dubuque, Iowa. The bricks salvaged from that seminary comprise the fireplace and chimney of St. John Mine building. The Catholic Church later added its present vestibule and steeple, while the Italian line of the roof was steepened sharply to a Gothic pitch to shed snow and avoid the strain of heavy snowfalls. Church is open to the public.